We pray for Rev. Richard Peterson and the people of Faith Lutheran Church in Yuma, part of the Cactus Conference. Visit their site at faithyuma.com, and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
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New treasurers or congregation members responsible for paying their church’s monthly Portico bill should check out three new videos available on EmployerLink to illuminate our billing process. Look for these updated videos in the “What to Do” tab on the “How to Work With Us” page.
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We share this news from Paul Gerrish that his son, Stephen, is out of the hospital. We continue to pray for the Gerrish family. Read more in our initial post, visit their GoFundMe page, and get CaringBridge health updates for Justin and Katherine, who remain recovering in the hospital.
By your power, great God, our Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave new hope to the hopeless. Though we cannot command or possess your power, we pray for those who want to be healed. Mend their wounds, soothe fevered brows, and make broken people whole again. Help us to wel-come every healing as a sign that, though death is against us, you are for us, and have promised renewed and risen life in Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
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O God of life, you are older than time. You have seen generations who have died through sacrifice, war, courage and folly. You have comforted generations who mourned and grieved and sang solemn songs and laid flowers on graves. Gather us in your embrace and cradle us with your compassion. As we remember those who have died in past wars and conflicts, help us to remember that you were there when the mountains were formed. You were there to sooth our grief and breathe hope into the hopeless. You are with us still. We give you thanks for life in Jesus and pray that your lives may be reflections of his love. Amen.
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We share a video highlighting Fund for Leaders scholar Wanda Frenchman, who helps lead the Native American Urban Ministry in Phoenix, Ariz. which was founded by her mother, Mary Louise Frenchman.
Wanda is participating in the TEEM program at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. This allows her to pursue rostered ministry while she continues to lead her community in Phoenix.
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After listening to the concerns of this church, careful review of the report of the Listening Team and other accompanying documents, consultation with outside legal counsel, and prayerful reflection and discernment, I have decided not to bring disciplinary charges against Bishop Rohrer.
While I am not inaugurating formal disciplinary processes at this time, there remain enough serious concerns that influence Bishop Rohrer's ability to remain impactful in their role that I have asked Bishop Rohrer for their resignation, which I believe to be in the best interest of all parties involved. Leer también en español…
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In the wake of mass shootings, Lutheran Disaster Response shares how LDR, the Upstate New York Synod and the Southwest Texas Synods, and other organizations, are responding. Ways to be part of the response are also shared.
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The Episcopal Diocese of Arizona is hosting a Candlelight Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence on Saturday, 5/28/2022 at 7pm, at All Saints Episcopal Church , 6300 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85012. The Rev. Canon Anita Braden will be present to make remarks. All are welcome to attend.
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Do you or your church need a piano? This piano is looking for a home. It needs to be tuned but is perfectly playable. It is free to anyone who is willing to pick it up! For questions or to claim, contact Pastor Sarah Stadler from Grace Lutheran Church, Phoenix at pastorsarah@graceinthecity.com.
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According to the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels, Clark County is the first to be at medium level after months of low levels in our synod.
All of our synod’s remaining counties are low level: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Washington, Yavapai, and Yuma.
The United States is averaging more than 105,000 new cases each day, the most since February, when the first Omicron wave was subsiding. Cases are rising in most states, and since many cases go uncounted in official reports, the true toll is higher than these figures show.
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“Stewardship is not just about what we give to the church, but how we spend and use everything that God has given us. Everything that we give comes first from God and passing it on is a way of affirming our faith that God will continue to bless us.” Read in this post or view as PDF.
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The Office of the Bishop staff continue to prepare for our 2022 Assembly, while attending to the day to day functions of our Church Together life. We also share photos from the Pacifica Synod Assembly.
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Lisa Marie Higginbotham, CFRE, one of our Regional Gift Planners with the ELCA Foundation is presenting virtual workshops on three related topics: planned giving, stewardship, and endowment. Use the links below to join the meetings.
Planned Giving, Tuesday, 5/31/2022, 1pm MST/PDT, 2pm MDT: Join Zoom Meeting
Stewardship, Wednesday 6/1/2022, 9am MST/PDT, 10am MDT: Join Zoom Meeting
Endowment, Thursday 6/2/2022, 1pm MST/PDT, 2pm MDT: Join Zoom Meeting
I grew up a Lutheran, having built a deep connection to God from a young age. However, like many of us I am sure, I have struggled with my faith over the last few years, especially these last two years. It seemed like the life I planned out was turned upside down and twisted without a moment’s notice. “New” things kept appearing everywhere I looked, and I felt incredibly lost, stuck in an uncontrollable void of questions and uncertainty
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America grieves with the families of the 19 students and two teachers killed in Tuesday's mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Mass shootings in this country over the past two weeks have deepened the wounds of grief and sorrow. This follows the racially motivated shooting of 10 people in Buffalo, N.Y.; the shooting in Laguna Woods, Calif.; and the 27 other school shootings that have occurred in 2022. Many of the shooters have targeted children and older adults — some of the most vulnerable in our society.
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Click here to view/download the Rules of Procedure as PDF document for our Synod Assembly, June 10-11, 2022, at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa, Arizona.
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For a long time, no one in Tulsa’s white or black communities talked about the massacre that destroyed the Greenwood district in May 1921. Those who were there remembered. A few kept the memory alive. But most simply chose to forget. Shrouded in silence for decades, it lay there in the heart of the city, eating away at it like a cancer.
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On May 2-5, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, National VOAD, held its annual conference in Baltimore, MD. Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is a National VOAD member and has been a strong player in the VOAD movement.
National VOAD is a coalition of community-based, faith-based and nonprofit disaster response organizations throughout the United States.
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For victims of the the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and for their loved ones…
For all people, families, and communities affected by gun violence…
For local, state, and federal lawmakers, that justice, peace, and safety may prevail…
For students and graduates at the end of this school year (especially local institutions)…
For families searching for infant formula to feed their children, and for affordable access to safe, healthy nourishment for all people…
For families and friends remembering loved ones who died while serving in the United States armed forces on this Memorial Day weekend…
For peace between nations and an end to war across the globe…